Road/Suicide Stats

The PDF includes this ‘update’ of March 28, 2014.(beyondblue media release).

7 people/day Suicided in 2012.

“beyondblue CEO Kate Carnell AO has expressed her deepest concerns after Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today show suicide was the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44 in 2012. The figures, which are preliminary, show 2,535 deaths have so far been recorded as suicide in 2012, a rate of 11.2 per 100,000 people. This is equivalent to around seven per day or 37 men and 12 women each week, making suicide the 14th most common cause of death in the country.

Ms Carnell said the figures represent a national tragedy and should act as a call to action for all Australians to tackle the issue of suicide.”

Suicide Prevention. It doesn’t happen by accident!

In 1980 3,229 Good Aussies died on our roads. In 2014 it was down to 1153! There has been NO significant, similar, consistent downward trend in Suicides in this time.

The dramatic fall in our road toll did not happen ‘by accident’! Our State and Federal Governments have aggressively targeted our physical road infrastructure with new highways, bypasses, bridges etc, AND the actual driving conditions of our roads like surfaces, shoulders, black spots, signs and lining. While this has been happening, our Police have been spending huge sums on speed cameras, defective vehicles, driver behaviour, RBT’s, unmarked cars and now electronic surveillance of number plates. This is NOT to mention the ‘impact’ of compulsory seat belts – and the huge advances in the standards in vehicle manufacture and maintenance.

But this has been accompanied by a massive, billion dollar Road Safety Campaign Australia wide. Don’t drink and drive. Speed kills. Arrive alive. We all know them so well.

Meanwhile, on our Emotional Road – while there is some good work happening, health services continue to face cutbacks, our Health System is under continued, sustained financial pressure, again – we all know this story so well … and sadly …

A National, Coordinated Suicide Prevention Campaign which actually works – and is not just TALK or TICKING BOXES – appears to be totally non existent!

beyondblue, wonderful and effective as it is – fails to actively Advertise to our WHOLE COMMUNITY, preferring to spent its time and out tax payers dollars targeting depression. No problem here – except they are neglecting to educate a HUGE number of potentially suicidal people!